Xawaash – Somali Spice Mix

www.xawaash.com

Xawaash (pronounced Hawash) comes from the Arabic word Hawa’ij (حوائج). Hawa’ij can be translated as ‘requirements’ or ‘essentials’. For example, there are the essentials accompaniments for Arabic coffee, Hawa’ij al-Qahwa (حوائج القهوة). The Hawa’ij spice mix is believed to have originated in Yemen.

In the southern regions of Somalia, Xawaash refers to the spice mix that is added to savoury dishes: meats, stews, soups, etc. However, in the northern parts of Somalia, Xawaash is used in a broader sense and it refers to any spice mix, even the spices that are added to tea and coffee.

Keep in mind that the types of spices used and their proportions are not cast in stone. There are regional variations dictated by personal taste as well as the availability of certain spices.

The use of the aromatic Xawaash is what gives Somali food its unique character and flavour.

Thank you, This is a wonderful site to learn how to cook typical Somali cuisine.. I am wondering if you have a grocery store that I can purchase xawaash recipe,, Thank you once again for this marvelous course..

Thanks brother/sister.. I am already in action at kitchen as I am fallowing your unique teaching method, due that result, I cooked already delicious dishes.. such as “Bariis isku Karis” . pasta and it’s sauce. and mixed vegetable dish.. All my diners were enjoyed the taste they got my cooking..But let me tell you, all this appreciation goes to you.. From now, I am trying to cook “Muffo Barvine” but I don’t have measurement tools that you use when preparing the ingredients.. I am really appreciate if you can guide me where I can found those kitchen aid tools.. such as.. serious cups, spoons, and measured jar glass.. I am living Toronto, could I possible found in Canadian Tire. ?? many thanks goes to you brother..

Salam Alaikum, Thanks for some real mouthwatering recipes from your ‘home’. I am definitely going to try out some of the easier ones first and also make the Somali version of the traditional ‘garam masala’ so common in east african and Asian cooking. Keep up the good work. God bless you.

I just saw your Liver & Onions recipe on youtube. This spice mix looks so good, and so does the recipe. I was looking for a good liver recipe that didn’t use any salt. (I’ll have to try and make a vegetable seasoning without salt) I can’t wait to try it, and I’m looking forward to browsing your website for more good recipes. (o:

Thank you for your wonderful site. I have prepared and shared your Somali spice mix with several friends. For me, this food evokes many times shared with treasured Somali companions in a time when my country, Canada, seemed a kinder and more welcoming place. I hope and pray that we may share such times again someday but in your country, in peace and prosperity.

Thank you for your comment. Governments come and governments go, but we found our fellow Canadians to be kind and decent people. We pray that Somalia will find the peace that has eluded her for more than two decades. We hope to welcome you there and extend to you the same compassion that we received.

I not only like I LOVE your website I’ve been a follower of yours for soooo long but never had the time to comment, I always want to run and buy the ingredients to try the dishes out, I want to make the samosas now for ramadan, I recently got married and have been impressing the hubby with your recipes, I have always wanted to cook authentic somali dishes like odkac/muqmad, and was never able to until I came across your site your like the aunt and uncle of cooking somali dishes, I love and appreciate your joint effort, dedication, and the way you put everything so clear, and simple, great photos, and videos thanks again, may Allah reward you abundantly and ramadan kareem from my family

IS XAWAASH THE SAME AS PILAU SPICES (MIX). JUST WONDERING, SEEMS VERY SIMILAR. BECAUSE I HAVE PILAU SPICES, IF ITS THE SAME THING, I DONT NEED TO GO AND PREPARE THE XAWAASH MIX. BY THE WAY AM FROM TANZANIA AND I LOVE YOUR WEBSITE, ITS THE BEST.

Thank so much for your nice compliment. Even though pilau spice is different from xawaash, we believe that you can still substitute it for xawaash. The main difference we noticed is the absence of coriander seeds in the pilau mix.

Thanks for your recipes. They are quite detailed. God bless you. Is Xawaash(spice mix)available for sale in the international markets as I can not get some of the spices used in my locality or are there alternatives to Xawaash. Thanks

As mentioned in the post, there are regional variations dictated by personal taste and the availability of certain spices. The main ingredients are cumin and coriander which are available in most places. Thank you for your comment and question.

Hi, am from Kenya and love Somali food especially goat meat and rice. Where can I find a Somali spice shop here in Toronto? I want to try a few of your recipes. Thanks and great site you got here. Still drooling at the food pics )

Thank you very much for your awesome comment. We’re happy that you like the website and the recipes. We don’t live in Toronto and we are not familiar with the shops there. However, the individual spices (cumin and coriander seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, turmeric powder and black pepper) are available everywhere.

You can use cumin powder. However, when you grind whole spices the flavour is much better. The powder loses it’s flavour the longer you store it. You can find cumin seeds﻿ at ethnic stores especially Indian. Thank you.

Salaam A&L,
I just happened to stumble upon your site while looking for an authentic recipe for Somali Beriis, and I must say MAA SHAA ALLAH! What a beautiful site and valued content.
BarakAllah feekum,
Nichole

Asalamu aleykum brother/sister. First of all thank you for the time and effort you put to this website to help us cook better and easier. May Allah reward you with bigger Insha’Allah. I’ve tried the Caano baraawe exactly the way you showed but it gets hard after it cools down any suggestion to make it softer? Thanks again.

Wa’alaikum Assalam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
Thank you very much for your nice comment and prayer. God bless you. You can reduce the cooking time by about 5 minutes and store in an airtight container.

Salam , I want to thank xawaash.com for all your
Effort in putting together all these delicious Somali
recipes. I tried most of them including the xawaash spice
Mix. I even tried the foods that I knew how to make
But later learnt yours was wayyyyyy better!

Sister I have request to make. My husband loves
tea so much and I was wondering if you could
Put to gather spice mix for tea? If you could I really
appreaciate it .
Again may Allah reward you for putting together
These delicious recipes!!!!

Thank you so much xawaash.com for all your Effort in putting together all these delicious Somali recipes. the xawaash spice Mix is definetely the crown of all spices and it is changing people lives by enriching their taste . may Allah pour on you a sea of blessings

Abdullahi & Leila I cannot tell you how much I love your blog. I came across it this summer when I visited my sister in France. She told me about it and I told everyone I know Somali or otherwise about it. I love food blogs and I have used and visited many of them and yours is up there with the best of them. I left Somali as a teenager and did not get the opportunity to visit again but your blog brings back memories not only with the food but with the background music and the pictures at the end of each recipe. I cook all kinds of food but was not able to do any Somali cooking. Now I am going to thanks to you guys. I see the picture of you in Sevilla which I had the pleasure to visit this summer. I see a cook book in the making for you guys. I see other bloggers doing it (Smitten Kitchen)so I don’t see why you can’t explore the idea. Good luck and keep up the good work. You make me proud as a Somali.

Thank you so much for your wonderful comment and kind feelings. We are exceedingly touched and grateful. We are also very lucky to have fans like you. Our trip to Spain was one of the most memorable ones. We hope to share with our readers some of the wonderful things we learned there. We will rethink our position on writing a cook book.

Hello! I am happy to have found your blog! I live in Minnesota, which has the largest Somali population in the U.S.; I am interested in learning and understanding more about the people and culture. One of my co-workers told me about making Xawaash, and another dish that sounded very similar to your recipe for Chicken Steak, so I think I will start there. (She was incredulous that I’d never had Somali cooking, and that I didn’t know what I was missing)! There are only a couple of ingredients that I don’t have; I scanned some of the other recipes, and it’s great that most of them call for things already in my cupboards.

Salam sister, great website Masha Allah. I know for sure this will be a place i come to for ideas and inspiration Insha Allah.
May I ask if you could post the easiest way of making Somali tea with milk? I don’t make it often. Mostly when I have visitors. I tend to get it right some days and wrong other days. I think it all in the measurements and balancing the flavours of the spices. Please help.
Jazakallah Khair!

As salaam wu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakahtu. I really appreciate and value your work and effort in establishing this site and the youtube channel. It has been of benefit to me. Shukraan. May Allah azza wa jal reward you with abundant good for it.
Fee amin Allah
Wa salaam wu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakahtu.

Question: I thought I saw one time that you made Xawaash Vegetable Seasoning. I looking to reduce chemicals in our diets and want to take out Maggi. Can you tell me how to make Xawaash Vegetable Seasoning?

[...] specialty African/Middle Eastern markets, but it is easy to make your own. I used this recipe from Xawaash. It is also available on Amazon, but for a premium price: USimplySeason Xawaash Spice [...]

[...] turmeric, cardamom, and sometime fenugreek powder. Yemeni also have a second Bharat called Xawaash which is a Somali blend. Somalian Food has a strong influence in Yemeni cuisine due to large [...]

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About (Annaga)Qui Sommes Nous نبذة عنا

We are a husband and wife team and we live in Canada. In a world full of food complications, we make cooking very simple. Our recipe videos will make your cooking easy, relaxed and enjoyable. We bring you the foods we love from Somalia and from around the world.